Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Palau instead of Ireland, you would:
Health
live 13.6 years less
In Ireland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
be 45.3% more likely to be obese
In Ireland, 27.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 40.5% of people as of 2024.
see 78.8% less spent on your healthcare
Ireland spends $8,772 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Palau spends $1,857 as of 2023.
have 53.3% fewer doctors per person
Ireland has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Palau has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 21.7% less access to essential health services
Ireland scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Palau scores 65 as of 2021.
Economy
make 85.2% less money
Ireland has a GDP per capita of $131,592 as of 2025, while in Palau, the GDP per capita is $19,532 as of 2025.
Life
be 22.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Ireland, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Palau, 89.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Ireland, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Palau, on the other hand, 18.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.6% less likely to have internet access
In Ireland, approximately 97.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Palau, about 83.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.6% more on education
Ireland spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Palau spends 3.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 58.4% more on healthcare
Ireland spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Palau, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Ireland, road accidents kill 2.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Palau, they kill 22.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 77.3% less home broadband
Ireland has 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Palau has 7.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 13.7 times more CO2
Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Palau emits 82.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ireland vs. Palau
Palau: At a glance
How big is Palau compared to Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.